The Junction, the new neighbourhood at Wellington Place is saying farewell to summer with a huge party - and everyone is invited.
From 6pm on Saturday 16 September, get yourself down to the secret garden, a new green space that was once part of the old Leeds railway.
Located just next to the 665 apartments from The Junction, the End Of Summer Party is the perfect example of how the new neighbourhood shines a spotlight on local independents, and is creating a new way of living right in the heart of the city.
The farewell to summer will be a proper Leeds affair, with some of the city's favourite independent food and drink companies providing masterclasses, food stalls and a pop-up bar on the landscaped space at Monk Bridge Viaduct.
The secret garden overlooks Wellington Place, and of course, the Leeds skyline. / Image: Unsplash
Shouk! has been on the Leeds foodie scene for a few years now, bringing Leeds flavour-packed pittas and falafels aplenty from Trinity Kitchen and popups at Wellington Place, North Brewing Co's Springwell and a whole host of private events.
Now its The Junction's turn for a taste of the authentic Middle Eastern street food - and we really can't think of a better menu to say goodbye to summer with.
Drinkswise, Wolfe Bros, another local favourite you might recognise from its award-winning Yorkshire distillery. The popular gin makers are just three years old, but have plenty of experience in creating the perfect tipple.
Wolfe Bros actually comes from the same people behind Call Lane's own Roland's and secret jazz bar, The Domino - so these guys are perfect to quiz about making the perfect gin.
The best of Wolfe Bros gin will be available from the pick 'n' mix G&T bar at The Junction this weekend, whilst The Domino Club will be running a masterclass, sharing the secrets behind creating a Gin Junction cocktail.
Masterclasses will run on a first-come-first-served basis on the night, so make sure to get there with plenty of time to secure a space.
Offering a different way to celebrate than the usual offerings in the city centre, The Junction is only ten minutes from Leeds Train Station - and where else will you have the chance to spend the evening watching the sun go down with a glass of gin in hand, hanging out with your mates and listening to the sounds of Bare Brass Band?
Tickets are just £3, with all proceeds set to be donated to LATCH: Leeds Action to Create Homes, a Leeds-based charity that helps to transform derelict and run-down houses in suburbs like Chapeltown, Harehills and Burley.
To make sure you don't miss out on all the fun, get a ticket booked via Eventbrite here.
About The Junction
The new green neighbourhood, featuring 665 apartments to rent, has emerged just moments from Leeds city centre – and it has some seriously swoon-worthy features.
Outdoor event spaces, private dining rooms, green spaces, 24 hour security, and the coolest walk to work in the city – that's just the beginning.
Check out some of these amenities that everyone living at The Junction will be able to take advantage of right here.
Feature Image - Supplied, The Junction
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Kirkstall Brewery and Little Bao Boy unveil new Leeds taproom
You know the venue, and you know the operators behind it, but things are looking a little different over on Sovereign Street.
Leeds' very own Kirkstall Brewery has teamed up with street food legends Little Bao Boy to totally reinvent the city centre taproom formerly known as North Taproom.
At the all-new The City Taproom, you'll find a way cosier space alongside their sun-soaked terrace, as they aim to reimagine a traditional city centre pub.
Across 16 tap lines there are loads of Kirkstall Brewery classics, like Kirkstall Pilsner, Virtuous and Judicious, plus a rotating selection of guest beers from top British breweries - and Guinness, of course.
The City Taproom will also feature two new cask lines: one serving Three Swords as a staple, and the other on rotation starting this month with Golden Hour.
There's a bigger kitchen for Little Bao Boy too, which means an even larger menu of bao and Asian street food, like loaded fries, noodles, and rice bowls.
Little Bao Boy was founded 10 years ago by James Ooi, specialising in home-made bao buns and traditional Asian street food with a contemporary western twist.
Kirkstall have injected the huge space with the traditional essence of a proper Kirkstall establishment, with that kind of cosy atmosphere you know them for at the brewery's other sites.
Little Bao Boy at City TaproomKirkstall Brewery pints and cocktails
This is yet another of the local brewery's openings in the city centre, joining their recent renovation of The Victoria & Commercial in partnership with Whitelocks, plus their stewardship of the historic Tetley brewery building.
James Ooi, founder of Little Bao Boy said: "We have been part of this venue since day one, through COVID, outside seating, and new owners, and we are so excited for this refurb.
"On the food side, expect more collaborations, faster service, and a better overall customer experience. We are extremely grateful Kirkstall saw the value in this refurb and can't wait to get back open."
Steve Holt, founder of Kirkstall Brewery, said: "We're delighted to unveil a new presentation for the Taproom on Sovereign Street.
"It has been named The City Taproom after a famous but long-gone Leeds pub known as ‘The City’, which was situated where the statue of the Dortmund Brewer now stands. Images of the original City pub are a feature in the new look City Taproom, which can best be described as a 're-imagination' of a traditional city-centre pub.
"The City Taproom celebrates Leeds and its rich pub and brewing heritage. We hope that it will become a popular addition to the amazing and diverse venues that make Leeds such a vibrant City for hospitality and entertainment."
It's all the bits you loved before, just a little bigger and a whole lot better.
The City Taproom opens at 3 Sovereign Street on Thursday 23 April.
The route for next year’s historic women’s Tour de France has been announced – and it all starts in Leeds
Danny Jones
The route for next year's women's historic Tour de France has been announced, with some of the best riders in the world set to begin the race from right here in Leeds.
Announced back in January, the 2027 Tour de France Femme avec Zwift will be making its British debut next year.
And this week, the full route has been revealed, which will all begin here in the race's host city of Leeds.
From here, riders will zip across through Yorkshire to Manchester, before turning back and heading down through the Peak District to Sheffield.
Around 230,000 people packed into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route. It's hoped that similar scenes will happen again this year.
It's yet another big coup for the region and Yorkshire's sporting scene.
Speaking with Manchester City Council earlier this week, Dame Sarah Storey joined many in celebrating another huge moment for us; the female Tour de France is not just back up and running, but aiming to become bigger than ever.
🚴♀️ The world’s best cyclists are heading to Manchester! 🚴♀️
The routes for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 have now been revealed, with Manchester set to host the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July and the Stage Two start on Saturday 31 July. pic.twitter.com/OMMlhdorqP
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) April 21, 2026
The Stockport-born swimmer turned Team GB cyclist and multi-Olympic gold medallist knows all about what makes this particular sport special, having swapped a previous and highly successful career for an entirely different discipline.
As has now been fully confirmed, the 2027 Grand Départ will be getting underway in Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and on to our friends in Greater Manchester.
Spread across two incredible days, the race itself will finish in Sheffield, with another UK first happening down in London, as the capital will also host the inaugural team time trial held in this country.
You can see the official event's breakdown of what locations feature in which stages of 'The Big Loop' in more detail below.
Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: "We might be more than a year away from welcoming the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to Leeds, but there is already a good deal of excitement building around the event.
"Today’s route announcement will hopefully whet people’s appetites still further and get them thinking about where in the city they will be watching the race.
"We recognise that some residents and businesses will now have questions about how an occasion of this size could impact local communities on the day.
"They can be assured that we will be working hard alongside the race organisers to minimise any disruption and will also make every effort to keep people fully informed as plans for the event continue to take shape."
Sophie Smith -
14th September 2023 
